Disposable ampulla syringe



Sept. 4, 1951 G. R. RYAN ET AL 2,566,428

DISPOSABLE AMPULLA SYRINGE Filed Dec. 20, 1947 V Fang/$222681? 020 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 DISPOSABLE AMPULLA SYRINGE George B. Ryan, Waukegan, and Ferdinand H. Young, Lake Bluflf, Ill., assignors to Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 20, 1947, Serial No. 792,960

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-4818) Our invention relates to the administration of medicaments and includes among its objects and advantages equipment for parenteral administration of medicament in a form that permits the use of a disposable container or cartridge or adisposable syringe, including provision for accurate measurement of the amount administered, whether or not the cartridge or the syringe is disposable.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of an administration kit according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the parts illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar section of a modified cartridge; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of one of the plungers of Figure 3.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in Figures 1 and 2, the syringe comprises a conventional barre] l having a closed bottom l2 and ears l4 at its upper end to function as finger grips. The needle, or cannula, I6,

is embedded in the bottom l2 and in the slightly tapered boss I! projecting downward from the bottom I2, and includes an external portion l9 and a shorter internal portion 20.

The disposable container, or cartridge, comprises a glass tube 22 provided with a rubber plunger plug 24 set in a little from its upper end and a rubber plunger, or plug, 25, at the delivery end. The plunger 24 is provided with the conventional groove 28 for convenience in retaining a modicum of a conventional lubricant, such as glycerine, ethyl alcohol or a mixture of peanut oil and solvent, to assure smooth movement of the plunger by preventing the rubber from adhering forcibly to the tube 22, even after long periods of storage.

The delivery plug 26 is cup-shaped to provide a central portion of reduced axial dimension through which the extension 20 can easily force its way. It also includes the cushioning flange 30 to guard against" the possibility of accidental breakage of the tube 22 when the tube is lass and the syringe body is glass or metal.

Means are provided for covering the external portion of the needle I6 and sealing ofithe interior of the'barrel In so that the entire device.

either with the cartridge in place or placed beside the syringe in the same package, may be made up as a sterile assembled unit at the place of manufacture capable of use with ordinary caution without any sterilization of the parts at the time of use. We have illustrated a needle shield 32 (which is also a plunger or thrust rod) in the nature of a tube large enough to house the cannula portion IS. The open end of the shield is tapered to fit the projection l8 and the closed end of the shield is enlarged to form a pressure foot 34. In the package the upper end of the barrel I0 is kept sealed by a rubber plug 36. It will be apparent that the syringe, with the plug 36 and cover 32 in place, may be made up with all the, critical parts sterilized at the place of manufacture, and the cartridge 22 may be similarly assembled.

When the device is to be used, the user can remove the plug 36, if present, and the cover 32, and insert the cannula portion l9 into the muscle or other point of injection into the patient. In the case of medicaments which should not be given intravenously, a brief pause at this point will result in the appearance of blood at the end of the cannula, and thus warn the user that a different position must be used.

The preferred and most convenient technique is to drop the cartridge into the barrel in before inserting the cannula. Then the syringe is manipulated with one hand to force the cannula into the patient, usually with the other hand on the vpatients muscle, which is often squeezed a little during insertion to hold the flesh in place. Then the operator picks up the thrust rod, and, before exerting pressure on it, waits as long as the condition of the site of injection calls for. If no blood appears, he may then press the cartridge home, and because it fits loosely no air will be entrapped and forced into the tissues.

The initial pressure will force the cartridge down to the position of Figure 1 and cause the cannula portion 20 to penetrate the plug 26. Thereafter, further movement of the plunger 24 will expel the contents of the tube 22 through the cannula and the cannula may be withdrawn.

The unit described in Figure 1 is entirely effective where substantially the entire charge in the cartridge constitutes a single dose. In the case of concentrated or expensive medicament, it is sometimes preferable to have the cartridge include several doses. Where the precise amount of each dose is not critical, the unit of Figure l is entirely adequate, but for precision work we prefer, the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the tube 38 is provided with duplicate plungers 40 each set in from the end of the tube a short distance to assist the user in positioning a thrust rod against them. The outer 'wall of the tube 38, which is of transparent material, is provided with lines 42 at regular intervals corresponding to a predetermined volume, which may conveniently be onetenth of a milliliter. Each plunger 40 includes end lands 43 and the body portion between the lands is formed with four shallow grooves 44. These grooves not only serve the conventional purpose of retaining lubricant, but their edges define five equally spaced peripheral lines. These five lines define four equal spaces, or axial increments, and by making these four spaces equal to five of the spaces defined by the lines 42 on the tube, a Vernier effect is obtained to assist the user in precise determination and/or measure-' ment of the amount of medicament administered. Thus in the position of Figure 4 with the top and bottom lines registering with lines 42 on the tube, movement of the plunger down far enough to bring the edge 46 in register with the adjacent line 42 will correspond to one-quarter of the volume corresponding to the distance between two of the lines 42. Similarly, further movement until the edge 48 comes into register corresponds to one-half, movement until the edge 50 comes into register corresponds to three-quarters, and when the edge of the following land 43 again comes into register, one full unit of volume has been delivered.

Such a plunger may have the conventional cavity 52 so that a cannula can readily penetrate the plunger along its axis. Therefore it becomes immaterial which end of the tube 38 is inserted in the barrel first, because the leading plunger will function only as an outlet plug and the following plunger will perform the function of expelling the charge. Therefore, the terminology plunger and plug may be used interchangeably insofar as the modification of Figures 3 and 4 is concerned.

Because rubber has elasticity of shape, but is substantially as incompressible as water, it is only necessary to avoid material shape-distortion of the plunger to secure accuracy in administering the charge. We have indicated tubular thrust rod 54 having its contact area with the plunger of such radial dimensions that, except for a slight imbedding of the pressure edge of the thrust rod in the material of the plunger, shape distortion of the plunger is negligible.

Others may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditions of service by employing one or more of the novel features disclosed or equivalents thereof. As at present advised with respect to the apparent scope of our invention we desire to claim the following subject matter.

We claim:

1. Unitary disposable equipment for parenteral administration of medicament comprising, in combination: a one-piece main tubular body all of transparent plastic and having one end closed and the other end open; a cartridge in said body inserted through the open end thereof having a penetrable end seal adjacent the closed end of said body; tubular discharge means fixed in the closed end of said body; said discharge means cartridge remote from said penetrable end sealadapted, upon receipt of axial thrust in the direction of said penetrable seal, to transmit suflicient thrust to force said penetrable seal over said discharge means and subsequently to slide axially along inside said cartridge and expel the contents thereof; a removable plug closure assembled on the open end of said body; a removable tubular cannula cover covering and protecting the projecting portion of said cannula from contamination; said cannula cover being of small enough diameter to telescope inside said cartridge and deliver thrust to said piston; said body being sufliciently longer than said cartridge to house said cartridge with said plug closure in place and with said penetrable end seal axially clear of said closed end and not yet penetrated by said discharge means; the excess of body length over cartridge length being sufiicient to guide said cannula cover against tipping, at the beginning of the injection; whereby the entirety of said unit may be sterilized at the place of manufacture and subsequently carried around under conditions that make it impossible to keep the exposed portions sterile, but subsequent removal of said end plug and transfer of said cannula cover to thrust position can accomplish a completely sterile administration without any local sterilization at the time of use.

2. Unitary disposable equipment for parenteral administration of medicament comprising, in combination: a one-piece main tubular body all of transparent plastic and having one end closed and the other end open; a cartridge in said body inserted through the open end thereof and having a penetrable end seal adjacent the closed end of said body; tubular discharge means fixed in the closed end ofsaid body; said discharge means including an externally projecting cannula adapted to be inserted through the skin of a patient; said cannula also projecting inside said,

body along the axis of said body far enough to penetrate the end seal in said cartridge when said cartridge is pressed against it; said cartridge being tubular; a filling of medicament in said cartridge; piston means in the end of said cartridge remote from said penetrable end seal adapted, upon receipt of axial thrust inthe direction of said penetrable seal, to transmit suflicient thrust to force said .penetrable seal over said discharge means and subsequently to slide axially along inside said cartridge and expel the contents thereof; a removable plug closure assembled on'the open end of said body; a removable tubular cannula cover covering and protecting the projecting portion of said cannula from contamination; said cannula cover being of small enough diameter to telesccpe inside said cartridge and deliver thrust to said piston; said cartridge lying axially inside of said end plug, and

axially spaced away from saiddischarge means,

5 said cannula cover to thrust position can accomplish a completely sterile administration without any sterilization at the time of use.

GEORGE R. RYAN. FERDINAND H. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date De Lisle Jan. 22, 1907 Number Number Number Name Date MacGregor July 13, 1926 Cook Oct. 9, 1928 Cook Oct. 9, 1928 Brown Mar. 5, 1929- Smith Mar. 19, 1943 Poux Nov. 9, 1948 Poux Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 17, 1938 Germany July 15, 1936 

